men funnier than women - official

Boffin Sam Shuster has conducted a controlled experiment by riding a unicycle through the streets of Newcastle and observing people's reactions. He noticed that men are more likely than women to laugh at him and make sarcastic remarks, and this applies to younger men more than older ones. This supposedly proves that humour is linked to testosterone levels.

I liked this "explanation" from psychologist Nick Neave:

Yeah, right.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7153584.stm

 

Feels like a sound proposition.

 

Yes, that does seem sound to me. There are loads of hilarious male comedians. How many funny female comedians are there? Jo Brand - boring and grotesque. Catherine Tate - nuff said....

 

The serious point about Shuster's theory is that humour is linked to aggression and attention-seeking ... which do seem to be characteristically male traits.

 

Anecdotally, that does seem quite accurate to me. I know that in new social settings I'll try to be funny to gain attention and then acceptance. Generally, though, I'd say my humour was as much self depracating as it was targeted at others....

 

Probably polite social circles maybe and even though self deprecating still brings the attention to oneself.

We all like funny people though, in moderation of course.

 

It's sound to suggest that humour is a mating strategy (in ultimate rather than proximate terms); women are the sexual selectors in our species, reproductively successful behaviours in men will be reinforced by increased rates of reproduction. Humour is one such markedly male behaviour. The article seems to suggest that aggression and humour are always or necessarily linked, which to me sounds a little simplistic (I haven't read the study itself so this might be an artefact of the BBC journalist's oversimplification). Aggressive display in young males is of course ultimately a mating strategy, but so is being incredibly skilful at something, be it art, music, hunting, whatever. Wit demonstrates quick thinking and a keen mind and as such is a sign of a healthy, resourceful and evolutionarily attractive person. We might be witnessing the entanglement of two distinct traits - the aggression/dominance display of young males and the demonstration of mental resourcefulness - they may often go together, but are not necessarily linked.

Humour is a male reproductive strategy insofar as absolutely everything we do is, ultimately, a mating strategy...

 

It should also be noted that there are some very funny women, and the average differences between groups say nothing of the abilities of individuals. Caroline Aherne, Jo Enright, Doon MacKichan, hell even Catherine Tate is funnier than many men...

 

I just watched tele, drank lemon tea and read the back of the packet in hopes of improving my mating chances

 

Why not just be funny to be funny. Why does it always have to be connected to some kind of hidden motive.

I laugh because it feels good. We poke fun at each other, because maybe it's our way to keep everyone at the same level, not that we feel threatened.

It gives me a greater sense of connection with others.

I'm happy for the man getting attention on the unicycle and getting laughs, not threatened.

These types of studies are just very annoying.

 

Im glad i dont know any blokes that dull

Hmm im too ill to contribute anything sensible today

 

i make people laugh cos its fun. when they laugh i laugh, im not trying to sleep with my best mate...

Catherine Tate is hilarious. So are the Chuckle Brothers.

 

Taking on sustenance and stimulating your mind with new information! Keeping yourself alive is one of the key factors in successful mating:tongue:

 

This is the distinction between ultimate and proximate causation. Proximately the reasons for your behaviour may be as you suggest, but it is no contradiction to say that there are other ("hidden") factors which have shaped you to be the kind of person who would demonstrate these kinds of behavioural traits. Why do we tend to resolve tense situations with humour and want to feel closer to people rather than stabbing them in the throat and snapping their legs off? It's because ultimately the former two represent, in the case of human societies, ultimately the most evolutionarily successful strategy. Ultimate causation (in terms of behavioural genetics and developmental psychology) explains aggregate behavioural traits across groups whereas proximate causation (social psychology etc) explains the conditions and thought processes that lead us to choose certain behaviours in individual cases.

 

lol, been on the port again

 

That's interesting, lithium, and I have read about those reasonings. Also, I agree there could be other reasonings, but I think it could be multi-layered. But to say that everything that we do is for some kind of evolutionary purpose, well, I believe that ignores the multi-layered reality of human existence.

There is a lot to explain, and I realize that you are an atheist, so many of these points may be dismissed right off the bat, and I don't mean any of that in a condescending way, either.

I apologize if I have misjudged you in anyway.

 

no wonder poeple always think i'm a man.

 

No she's not. There's no one in the world less funny than Catherine Tate....

 

I love her! Perhaps it's something to do with the fellowship of MH staff! We are a strange bunch.

 

All she ever does is make stupid 'jokes' about genitals and menstruation....